Well flow stimulator



Paie-naa oaf.. ze, 193e UNITED STATES PATENT olv-FICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to well ow Stimulators and more especially toapparatus forrenewing oil fiow in a depleted well.

When an oil well is first drilled production is .5f obtained by naturalflow into a pocket at the bottom ofthe casing, and then, when naturalpressure is exhausted, whatever oil drains linto this pocket is pumpedfrom the well intermittently. However, it is well known that only from101 20% to 30% of the crude 0111s obtained 1n this manner, there being60% to 80% left in the ground. No way has been found to extract thisremaining supply of oil. A great many methods have been tried to revivethe flow of the crude oil under the ground, such as waterpressure, steampressure, shooting with bombs and the like. However, none of thesemethods have proved successful because the water mulsies with the oil.Steam sets up flow only temporarily 4for after the crude oil leavesthe'heated area and reaches the casing it cools quickly and the para'ineclogs up the casing. The shooting lwith bombs is so expensive that itcannot be done with regularity nor is it practical as it only lasts forthe moment of the explosion andis liable to cause a fracture in thecasing.

I have discovered that by jarring the earth at y the bottom of a well,or even at points near the bottom of the well, or by jarring the entirecasing, vibrations are produced in the earth and these vibrations revivethe ow. Furthermore, by using heavy blows the shock will be morepronounced, and by repeating such blows many hundred times a minute theformation or strata of the earth is maintained in a continuousdisturbance or tremor causing the crude oil to move' out of the layerswherein it is entrapped.

With the above in mind an object of the present invention is to provideapparatus for setting up and maintaining rapid vibrations vertically andhorizontally in the layers and strata of the earth formation to produceagitation, flow, and movement of oil, mineral contents, liquid or anyother content sought in any kind of well, mine or shaft. v A furtherobject is to provide in apparatus of this character, a percussion unitdelivering impulses in a vertical and downward direction, unitsassembled to receive and continue in a vertical and downward directionthe' received impulses, these units 'being associated with impact andtransmitting units capable of delivering a portion of the transmittedvertically and downwardly directed impulses in a lateral direction.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended .claims without 5 departing from the spirit or sacricing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this speciiication,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vsectional view of oil l0 well iiowstimulating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of a solid at shock transmitting plate,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of a sectional l5 shock transmittingplate,

Figure 4 is a side' elevation of a shock transmitting plate havingconvex surfaces,

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a shocktransmitting plate havingconcave surfaces,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a plate having frusto-conical surfaces,and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a shock transmitting plate havingfrusto-conical depressions in the faces.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, I0 designates vacylindrical housing which is closed at the bottom by a threaded endretainer plate I I and a threaded 30 lock plate I2. The housing may befitted at the top I3 with any suitable fitting to engage any standardconnection desired. The housing is to be used in a well I4 at anydesired. point or depth.

A standard hammer or pile driver I5 is disposed 35 in the housing andmay be driven from any suitable source-'of power.

Disposed upon the retainer plate II is a disc I6 of resilient material.Disposed upon this disc is a metal plate- I1 which loosely fits in thehous- 40 ing and which carries horizontally disposed vibrationconductors or shock emitters I8 which may `beone or more rods looselymounted in the plate and projecting loosely into openings I9 in thehousing. f

Vertical vibration conductors or shock emitters 20 are looselyengagedthrough the disc I 6 and plates II and I2 and threaded intoopenings in the bottom plate I'I. Themembers 20 may be of any desiredlength and may be u-sed to sup- 50 port the entire device at its desiredlocation above the bottom of the well. These vertical vibrationconductors maybe one or as many as is found necessary and required.

A ram 2I is a separate unit and is fastened 65 or disposed on a plate 23supports the hammer I5 and holds the hammer I5 at a required distancefrom plates 23 and 24 to permit correct stroke or distance or permit ramto function. The hammer impinges against the ram 2| which in turnimpinges against a substantially inverted frusto-conical head plate 24which is loosely seated in a similarly shaped axial opening 25 in theplate 23.

The plate 23 is provided with horizontally disposed vbration conductorsor shock emitters 26 which are loosely mounted in openings 21 in theplate and in openings 28 in the housing. There may be any number of themembers 26 disposed to extend radially from the head plate 24. Theplates I'I and 23 are held spaced apart by helical springs 29 seated inrecesses in the opposed faces of the plates.

In Figures 2 and '7 are illustrated several types of plates toillustrate that the vibration transmitting plates may be solid and of aat disc type as shown at 30 in Figure 2, or the plates may be formed ofsegmental shaped sections shown at 3| in Figure 3. Also the faces of theplates may be convex, as shown at 32 in Figure 4, or concave as shown at33 in Figure 5, or frusto-conical as sh/own at 34 in Figure 6, or mayhave frustoconical depressions as shown at 35 in Figure 7, or in factany desired shape of plate may be used.

In operation shocks developed by the ram 2| hitting the head plate 24 ata rapid rate, vibrates the plates 23 and I'I and the vibrations set upin these plates travel through the vibration conductors and shockemitters I8 and 26 horizontally out through and into the layers orstrata of earth into the hammer I5. Rubber bushing 22 resting formationat the point desired for the purpose of producing agitation, flow andmovement of oil, into the well. Simultaneously therewith the vibrationwill be transmitted vertically by the vertical vibration conductor orshock emitter 20 to produce the same result.

This apparatus can be used to produce results on one or more wells,mines or shafts at a time or at any depth.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood without furtherexplanation.

What is claimed is: Y

1` Apparatus for stimulating well ow comprising a vertically movablehammer, a loosely secured plate, a ram vibratable by the hammer betweenthe hammer and the plate and striking the plate to produce shocks andvibrations, means connected with 'the plate for transmitting thevibrations radially outward to the earth strata near the bottom of thewell, and means connected to the plate for transmitting the vibrationsvertically downward to the earth strata.

2. Apparatus for stimulating well iiow comprising a vertically movablehammer, a loosely secured plate, a ram vibratable by the hammer betweenthe hammer and the plate and striking the plate to produce shocks andvibrations, loosely mounted rods connected with the plate fortransmitting the vibrations radially outward to the earth strata nearthe bottom of the well, and loosely mounted rods connectedto the platefor transmitting the vibrations vertically downward to the earth strata.

GEORGE R. BlkA1VIli/IER`

